We are looking for pixel artists

For a general overview of the project, check the About page.

About a year ago we started to make this dream of ours a reality. Within that year we mostly finished the engine and level editor. In parallel, we developed the story and created a comprehensive storyboard. Now we could finally start scripting the actual game, but we still lack the artwork.
For now we focused mostly on the story and engine development, which is why the artwork came a bit short, plus we do not really have the talent to create awesome pixel art ourselves.
We hired a freelance artist to create 2 rooms, but we don’t have sufficient budget to pay a professional to do backgrounds for the whole game.
Since we both work full time, the project technically classifies as a hobby project. However, we are very determined, so the project has our full attention. In general, we are working towards a commercial release one day, but that depends to a great deal on finding the right people who are willing to join us in order to provide the artwork.

We are looking for a graphics artist/pixel artist with the necessary passion and ambition to work on such a project for the necessary amount of time. Style-wise, we are oriented towards pixelart. You can get a first impression from the demo video on the homepage. From past experience, we are well aware that many people are very euphoric at the idea of making a game, but then fail to deliver at all or only deliver at a very slow rate at best.
We are looking for people who are actually passionate about the project and are able and willing to work on this with us for a prolonged amount of time (2-3 years). Obviously, it’s hard to tell what will be in 1-2 years, but you should at least be aware of this.

According to our experience, you should find the time to work at least 5 hours a week on the project to create a beneficial contribution to the project. Otherwise, the overhead is just not worth it and a quick integration of new content is not feasible.

This is a crucial point: Since we fund the game ourselves, we do not have a huge budget. Generally, we are looking for people who are in this for their own motivation. Maybe you are in a similar situation of always wanting to make a game, but lack programming skills or the skills to write a good story. This could be a great way to collaborate. Should the game actually be released commercially, we will provide a fair revenue share, but we are fully aware that there’s still a long way ahead, so this is all speculation for now.
On the other hand, we do have a budget. So we do not want to rule out payment completely. It is fair to say that the amount of money we could pay will not be competitive (at least regarding german rates). We can discuss details in person.

An average of approx. 60 different locations (“backgrounds” or “rooms”).

It’s hard to tell at this point. It depends a lot on how fast the artwork can be provided. Ideally, we aim at 2 backgrounds per month, resulting in a total development time of approx. 2-3 years.
Sound and animations are also needed, but could be done in parallel. Nonetheless, this will be a longer project.

Currently the game runs on Linux and Windows. A version for MacOS should be possible with minimal effort. A port for Android could be an option for later, but that is currently out of scope.

For chat we use “Signal” and “Discord”. In addition, we host a web server providing information regarding our storyboard, script API documentation, etc. We use “GIT” for handling our source code and graphic assets and bug tracking is done with “Bugzilla”.

If you are interested in the project and want to join as a pixel artist or if you have any questions, please contact us via:

artist@project-paranoia.com

If you already have a portfolio or other references, feel free to attach or link them in the email. A little background about you and what motivates you to join us would be nice as well.